← Glossary · Buying and selling
Order
An instruction to your broker to buy or sell a security.
An order is your instruction to the broker. It contains at least: which security, buy or sell, how many units and under which conditions.
You set the conditions with the order type. The simplest is a market order (immediately at the next price). A limit order sets a maximum or minimum price; a stop order sets a price level from which the trade happens. Many brokers also let you choose how long the order is valid, such as "until end of day".